2009 Z06 Sees Daylight After Being Forgotten in Storage

In Dreams

If Storage Wars were real, the range of booty they find would spread from excrement to extremely awesome, with a Lamborghini Miura sitting pretty close to one end of the scale. In a world of power tools and pool tables a practically untouched Corvette Z06 ranks right up next to the Lambo in terms of sheer awesomeness. We've heard of folks buying C4 and C5 'Vettes and socking them away until such time as they've appreciated enough to fund a retirement full of golf and/or bass boats, but this is the first C6 we've seen emerge from hibernation.

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Abandon ‘Vette!

The eBay user, in_service, who found the Z06 owns an 'Automotive shop,' and obtained it as part of a 'storage unit purchase,' which suggests that they have enough spare time to go to abandoned storage auctions. This dusty beauty had a mere 720 original miles on the clock when they unearthed it, and they flipped the car via eBay auction post haste. The auto shop owners described the Corvette's condition as, "perfect other than it has scratches on both sides of the bumpers from it being transported," and, "Bumper has a small crack one right side from the transport company loading it on," which might have given pause to the subsequent owner when it came time to ask in_service about further transport of the sleeping beauty.

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The Fine Print

Now for the bad news. As everyone who has ever bought any vehicle on Craigslist, or from an absent-minded relative, and then tried to register it knows: the title is the vehicle. The eBay seller didn't have a title, or any other paperwork, for the car, though they did search the VIN and found that it hadn't been reported stolen. Because they own a shop, they said they "were planing to do a Title abandonment but if we do that the price of the car will go significantly higher." The seller gives the usual assurances that a title can be obtained from your local government office, asks you to do the research on it, reassures you that "there are many ways to go about it," and that "it will take about 2 months!!" They quote an estimated cost of $220-$480 for this. The seller also excitedly informs us about another bonus—old rubber: "Still original tires on the car!"

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Rules of the Game

The Z06’s seller gave it a good washing up and while they were at it, changed the fluids too—though which fluids they replaced, and what products they used to do so weren't detailed. A good rule of thumb is to spend the two minutes it takes to read up on what you are buying, and in the story of our modern age that's presumably just what one bidder didn't do: "After the fact, I found out that it has a manual transmission which my wife cannot use.” “Please cancel all of my bids and the car!" pleaded the bidder. Oops. In another parable for our time, the seller responds in ALL CAPS, chiding prospects not to bid unless they've read the description.

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5Hammer Time

In 2009, Z06 Corvettes started at $73,255. Resale values have been kind to C6 Z06 owners and nine years later asking prices for Z06s are hovering in the low $40,000s. With 153 bids, the Rip Van 'Vette sold on eBay for $57,500, so firmly in the middle, which seems about right. After paint, tires, and a thorough inspection/maintenance, the total expenditures could, barring the leaks and corrosion often caused from sitting stationary for nearly a decade, squeeze in under retail. It turns out that a storage shed can sometimes double as a time capsule. If only it could issue titles.

>>Join the conversation about the C6 Z06 Corvette find right here in LS1Tech.

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